VietTESOL International Convention 2026

This study aims to investigate the effectiveness of applying the Appraisal framework, derived from Systemic Functional Linguistics, to improve English argumentative writing skills for Vietnamese university students. The Appraisal framework, developed by Martin and White (2005), provides a tool for analyzing lexical resources to help learners understand and apply expressions of Attitude, Engagement, and Graduation in texts. This study uses a quasi-experimental design, pre-testing and post-testing with 60 university students in Vietnam. The experimental group received explicit instruction on the Appraisal resources (Engagement) integrated into a writing course for 12 weeks, while the control group followed a regular writing syllabus applied for all students at the university. The results revealed that applying the Appraisal framework helped students develop a greater awareness of how language functions to express stance, establish authorial voice, and regulate dialogic interaction. In particular, students showed noticeable improvement in their use of heteroglossic resources to negotiate dialogic space, incorporate sources more effectively, and articulate personal stance with greater nuance and appropriateness in argumentative writing. Pedagogical implications and potential ways of incorporating the Appraisal framework into English writing curricula were discussed in order to enhance the argumentative writing skills of non-English major students in Vietnam.